While nearly everyone in the Metro Detroit area was rooting for the Michigan and Michigan State men's basketball teams over the weekend, there were a few rooting for Kentucky.

Two of those people were Gary Fralick and John Pleasant.

Why? Because they both coached Kentucky freshman James Young.

Before heading off to the Bluegrass State, Young played three seasons under Fralick at Troy High School before transferring to Rochester High School as a senior under the guidance of Pleasant.

Neither coach is surprised to see Young succeeding and growing at the next level, averaging 14.1 points and 4.2 rebounds per game in his first year with the Wildcats.

"He was obviously a very special high school player and has increased his ability to be even a better player at the college level," Fralick said. "It's just a whole lot of fun to see him continue to be a development and how far he's come in the four or five years that I've known him.

"He's just an incredibly talented player. He's the best player I've ever had the opportunity to coach."

Pleasant can't help but reminisce a little while watching Young come up big game after game for Kentucky this year and it's hard to blame him.

Young, a 6-foot-7 guard and 2013 McDonald's All-American, averaged 27.2 points, 16.0 rebounds and 5.7 assists as a senior under Pleasant. In his junior year at Troy with Fralick, Young also averaged 25.1 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.5 steals.

"(Young) was called on to do so much for us," Pleasant said. "Every time down the court for us, he either scored or passed to somebody. Certainly, like in the Louisville game when he caught the lob, or when he hits a big three, certainly it gives me time to think back."

It was Young's uncanny shooting ability from anywhere on the floor that made him one of the best prospects to ever come out of Oakland County. To Fralick, it comes as no surprise that Young is shooting over 40-percent from the floor so far this season.

"I've never coach somewhere where, every time they shot the ball, you knew it had a really good chance to go in because it was a perfect rotation," Fralick said. "I always knew he could score and I always knew he would score at any level he would play at."

For any high school basketball coach, saying that you've coached an NBA player is a dream come true. The same would go for both coaches.

"It would be exciting," Fralick said about the possibility of Young getting to play in the NBA. "It would obviously be a lot more exciting for him. For anyone who's coached him, and I was able to coach him for three years, it's just a really, really exciting thing. It's an exciting thing for Troy High School, for his teammates and for all of the people who have coached him."

Both Fralick and Pleasant are both happy to see that Young has continued to work hard and make improvements in his game. Fralick sees Young continuing to improve on the dribble drive while Pleasant has been impressed with his defensive play in the tournament.

However, Pleasant pointed out that the best part about Young is that, in important ways, he hasn't changed after moving onto college.

"I couldn't be happier for him," Pleasant said. "He's a wonderful kid. Super, super humble. He's continued to be humble throughout these last two weeks."